Sunday, January 5, 2014

This is a sample from the beginning of my new release, Quintessence, the fifth and final book Enchanted Bookstore Legend. The genre is epic fantasy romance.

In this scene, the heroine, Lyra McCauley, along with her allies from the Alliance, encounters the enemy leaders of the Dark Realm. The two factions are in a desperate race to acquire the four missing keystones, which can transfer much-needed magical astral energy to the failing Alliance. To gain the upper hand, the Dark Realm has taken a prisoner--the 10-year-old crippled Alliance seer named Kessa--making the stakes much higher.

from Chapter One: The Evil Tidal Pool

Jaw clenched and
arm muscles tensed, Lyra pumped aura into her fist, which was closed around the
Staurolite. The cross-shaped crystal at its center pulsed red hot in her palm.
Power from her ancestors—four female Scribes—pressed hard against her fingers,
begging to be set into motion against the evil alchemist. Aura flooded Lyra’s
senses, bringing keen perception. She studied Eburscon, watching for the
slightest movement.

His gaze fixed
on her and the Unicorn Guardian in the surf below. He sat motionless on the
back of a cimafa stealth dragon, hand cupping the iolite pendant outside of his
dark purple cloak. The gem lay quiet. Only the graying braid at Eburscon’s back
swept from side to side with the impatient contortions of the cimafa.

Inky clouds
billowed around the members of the Dark Realm. The three cimafa were well
camouflaged, visible only when they snorted through fiery nostrils and their
sleek, long tails undulated.

The Black
Dragon’s scales irridesced with light reflected off whitecaps riding on fierce
waves across the Sea of Cogadh. Acid drool from his snout peppered the water,
sizzling upon impact. His wings moved almost imperceptibly to maintain an
aerial position, while his gaze locked on his nemesis, the Alliance’s leader.

Behind Lyra, the
huge golden dragon, twice the size of his opponent, stood on the shore. The
Imperial Dragon’s thigh muscles bulged and his wings extended, ready for
flight. Muffled guttural noises escaped his throat, apparently still burning
from the Black Dragon’s acid attack.

Lyra wanted to
empower the golden sapphire apex of her wizard’s staff, but feared the display
of power might initiate more strikes from the Dark Realm.

Behind her on
the Unicorn’s wide rump, Kenzo’s aura shifted. The owl followed the Imperial
Dragon’s cue and partially unfolded his silver-striped wings.

Wisps of the
Unicorn’s white aura danced in the twisting, turning surf.

Nearby, the sea
nymph watched the Pearl of Pendola she had protected for centuries. Its white
nacre shined between the fingers of Eburscon’s fist. Before he stole it from
her hand, she intended it as a gift for Lyra. The pearl would strengthen the
power of the Alliance that protected the nymph and all kind dwellers in the Sea
of Cogadh. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks. She slipped off the rocky
outcropping into the churning waters now overtaken with evil. Her long blue
hair briefly swirled at the surface before she dove deep.

A tremor of
power moved along the Unicorn’s spine beneath Lyra. Pulsations of his aura
pushed her nerves over the edge. Her own aura spilled reflexively into her
staff, and she clutched his mane, preparing for the consequences of an
onslaught of strikes from the enemy.

The partially
eroded skin of the Black Dragon’s upper lip curled back to reveal rows of
snaggled, dark teeth. “If you will not concede, then come into my land and try
to get what you need.” He reared his long neck high, then coiled it behind him
and snaked his body into a sharp turn in the direction of the Dark Realm.

Eburscon
released a wicked laugh and leaned toward Lyra from his seat on the cimafa.

The Imperial
Dragon responded and soared to a position between them. His tremendous wings,
connecting far beyond his hind legs, completely shielded Lyra.

Warlord Oasth
took an aerial position beside his leader. He spread his smaller drake-sized
wings but snarled viciously, a mouthful of flames swirling between his teeth.

A violet laser,
the color of Eburscon’s aura, shot to the shoreline and pelted the evil tide
pool. The surface reflected purple rays at all angles, but no one dared to move
toward it.

At last, wing
beats sounded behind the wall of the two dragons protecting Lyra. Although
breeze from dragon flight lifted strands of her hair, no flames or acid shots
cut the airspace.

The alchemist’s
laugh grew more distant.

Lyra turned to
face the tide pool and noticed an image on its surface. “Move closer to the
enchanted pool,” she urged the Unicorn.

“I don’t trust
the strength of my ward against Eburscon,” the Guardian whispered over his
shoulder to Lyra. He peered cautiously from behind the dragons’ wings, his aura
heightened into a swirling cloud.

Kenzo hovered a
short distance beyond them and motioned with the tip of his wing. “They are
leaving.”

The Unicorn
faced the Dark Realm’s border while stepping toward the basin. His dark eyes
widened, and his nostrils flared, he tested the trails of evil hanging on air
currents.

The party from
the Dark Realm flew slowly but steadily back to their land. When they
disappeared into the shadowy forest of Silva Nocens, Lyra and the Unicorn
turned their attention toward the pool. Violet haze of Eburscon’s aura hung
above the water. The calm surface beneath reflected an image.

Kenzo circled
the pool, while Lyra dismounted and kneeled on the bank in order to see under
the mist. She secured her heavy wool riding cloak behind her shoulders, but the
golden tip of her braid nearly fell into the evil water before she pushed it
onto her back.

In the vision,
the thin frame of Kessa, the young seer, huddled in a corner against a rough
stone wall. The ten-year-old child wore shackles on her ankles. Her leg braces
had been removed, revealing long scars above and below her knees. She hid her
face in her folded arms and a cascading curtain of matted, dark blond hair.

A heavily
muscled Qumeli man sat cross-legged beside her, a stoic expression on his
bearded face. Two thick, coiled horns grew from either side of his forehead and
spiraled backward past his shoulders. Their size revealed his mature age. Red
beaded decorations strung in his long peppered black hair and between the horns
indicated his status as a tribal chief.

On the other
side of Kessa, a plump old woman puffed calmly on a hand-carved pipe, allowing
the smoke to trickle out in ribbons through her wide nose. Horns spiraled from high
on her head of wiry gray hair, coiling around her ears one turn more than the man’s.
Beaded dangles and charms festooned the bottom of each spiral. Weather-beaten, deep
wrinkles marred her olive complexion. Lyra recognized the woman as the sibyl
star reader, Stella, who had tricked her. During a lesson in mystic astronomy,
Stella had positioned Lyra near the edge of a cliff, where a waiting cimafa
attacked and fought fiercely to steal her aura. Recalling the experience, her
first with a stealth dragon, Lyra shivered.

A heaving lump
of clothing next to the sibyl raised a scarf-covered head and choked on a sob.
Nillea’s swollen face turned to the Qumeli woman. Nillea’s eyes were bloodshot
and her clothing ripped. She crawled a foot in the direction of her daughter.

The sibyl glared
at Nillea, and the chief sent his fist into Kessa’s outer knee.

Kessa whimpered
and curled tighter against the wall, while her mother wailed inaudible words
with a hoarse voice.

“Stop begging,”
the sibyl snapped. “Such a slow learner. More you do, more pain she’ll get.”
One corner of the old woman’s mouth curved into a grin. “Only when she tells
where the other keystones are to be found, we stop and let you both free.”

“She’s only a
small girl. Please.” Nillea shuddered. Upon receiving no response, she faced
Kessa. “Kinchin, please do this one bit of Great Gramaema Heilia’s magic for
these people.” Her voice cracked. “Then we’ll leave here and no more magic
ever. It brings too much hurt.”

The sibyl
cackled and blew a puff of smoke in Nillea’s face. “You hurt the child, not her seeing.”

Nillea coughed
and fell back. Her foot caught in torn layers of her full skirt, and she
writhed helplessly, while the sibyl enjoyed a resounding belly laugh.

A dense violet
film clouded the vision. Lyra looked at the Unicorn and Imperial Dragon. With
white knuckles, she clamped onto the shaft of her wizard’s staff. “If this is
true—”

*~*~*

Information about the Enchanted Bookstore Legends:

The Enchanted Bookstore Legends are
about Lyra McCauley, a woman destined to become one of five strong women in her
family who possess unique magical abilities and serve as Scribes in Dragonspeir.
The Scribes span a long history, dating from 1200 to present day. Each Scribe
is expected to journey through Dragonspeir, both the good and evil factions,
then draft a written account. Each book contains magic with vast
implications.

Lyra was first introduced to Dragonspeir as a young
girl, when she met the high sorcerer, Cullen Drake, through a gift of one of
those enchanted books. Using its magic, he escorted her into the parallel world
of Dragonspeir. Years later, she lost that volume and forgot the world and
Cullen. These legends begin where he finds her again—she is thirty-five,
standing in his enchanted bookstore, and Dragonspeir needs her.

When Lyra reopens that enchanted book, she
confronts a series of quests where she is expected to save the good Alliance
from destruction by the evil Black Dragon.While
learning about her role, Lyra and Cullen fall in love. He is 220 years old and
kept alive by Dragonspeir magic. Cullen will die if Dragonspeir is taken over
by the evil faction…Lyra becomes the Scribe.

Seeking a
Scribe: Enchanted Bookstore Legend One

Lyra McCauley is a writer and loves fantasy novels,
but until she opens a selection from bookstore owner Cullen Drake, she has no
idea he’s a wizard character who lives a double life inside that volume…or the
story’s magic will compel her from the edge of depression to adventure, danger,
and love.

His gift to Lyra, the Book of Dragonspeir, was actually her copy, misplaced years ago.
Lost in her pain following divorce and death, she fails to recognize him as her
childhood playmate from the fantasyland. Friendship builds anew. Attraction
sparks. But Lyra doubts whether a wizard is capable of love. She’s torn—should
she protect her fragile heart or risk new love?

Opening the book’s cover, she confronts a quest:
save Dragonspeir from destruction by the Black Dragon before he utilizes power
of August’s red moon to expand his strength and overthrow the opposing Imperial
Dragon. Lyra accepts the challenge, fearing Cullen will perish if evil wins.
Along with magical animal guides, Cullen helps her through many perils, but
ultimately Lyra must use her own power…and time is running out.

Heritage Avenged: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Two

Lyra McCauley receives an alarming letter from the coroner
who evaluated her deceased aunt, originally thought to have died of cancer. The
news causes Lyra to take leave from her job and travel from sunny Tampa to the
frozen island community in northern Michigan. Questioning whether Dragonspeir
magic was responsible for her aunt’s death, she resolves to learn the truth and
accepts the Imperial Dragon’s appointment into the Alliance sorcery training.

Additionally, becoming proficient in magic craft is the only
way she can bridge the gap between her mortal human world and her lover’s.
Cullen, a 220-year-old wizard, is dependent upon his Dragonspeir magic for
immortality. He is her only family now; she cannot lose him.

Evil forces block her and try to steal her inherited scribal
aura. Riding a stealth dragon, a cloaked rider pursues Lyra. Both the Alliance
and Dark Realm alchemists lay tricks and traps. Her aura equals that of the
first and most powerful Scribe, but will Lyra’s novice training allow her to discover
the truth…and find a life with Cullen? Or will the
Dark Realm keep them apart?

Lost Volumes:
Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three

When Lyra McCauley learns residents of Dragonspeir’s
Alliance are suffering with a deadly plague, she doesn’t heed the warnings of
her fiancé, wizard Cullen Drake, to remain safe in her human world. After all,
she’s the present Scribe—one of five strong women in her ancestry who possessed
unique magic, each destined to protect the Alliance against the evil Black
Dragon of the Dark Realm. With Cullen dependent upon Alliance power to maintain
his immortality, the stakes are doubled for Lyra.

She leaves her college teaching and puts herself at risk for
the community afflicted by black magic. To find a cure, she and Cullen travel
into the vile, lawless underworld of Terza to strike a bargain with an expert.
Their efforts further enrage the Black Dragon, vowing to decimate the Alliance
and avenge the murder of his heir.

Lyra must secure the three lost volumes of the Book of Dragonspeir. Written by the
three earliest Scribes, each book contains energy. Possession of the entire set
will enable overthrow of the Dark Realm. Following clues into dangerous lands,
Lyra and Cullen seek those volumes. His assistants, Kenzo the tiger owl and
Noba the pseudodragon, prove invaluable aids. Only if they succeed, will the
Alliance be safe and Lyra reach closer to the immortality she needs to live a
life with Cullen.

Staurolite: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Four

Lyra McCauley, current Scribe of the Alliance, is the only
one who can decode magic hidden in the recently retrieved ancient texts written
by her ancestors, the first four Scribes. Information in those writings can help
Lyra locate the four missing keystones, which will restore power to the
Alliance and allow overthrow of the Dark Realm. With peace restored, she and her
beloved, Cullen, could finally marry.

Time is short with the Black Dragon’s Dark Realm increasing
attacks to avenge the death of his heir. Many innocent lives are lost. Alliance
residents are forced into hiding. Magicals and blue dragons follow leadership
of the Imperial Dragon and the other three Guardians into battle to defend the
Alliance.

While Lyra unlocks the ancient magic, she opens herself up
to scribal powers from her ancestors. She alone can fight the deadliest of the
Dark Realm’s forces—the cimafa stealth dragons—but at a cost. The energy flux
threatens her health and ability to learn where to find the missing keystones.
Can Lyra overcome this shrewd tactic of the Black Dragon to decimate the
Alliance?

Quintessence: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Five

~the final volume~

Barbaric Dark
Realm warfare threatens to overtake all Dragonspeir lands, including the
Alliance. Lyra McCauley, the fifth Scribe of the Alliance, finds herself in a desperate
competition to gather four missing keystones. Those amulets of the four natural
elements guarantee victory for the side possessing them. The Dark Realm’s
alchemist, Eburscon, beats her to finding the water gem, the Pearl of Pendola.
Three more keystones remain: the fluorite containing earth energy, the
moonstone of the sky, and the fiery, dangerous Emtori Ruby.

The powerful
gems, stolen centuries ago, channel astral energies and can restore much-needed
Alliance power—the last hope. The wizard, Cullen, who is Lyra’s beloved, relies
on Alliance magic for his immortality and will perish if the land falls to the
Dark Realm.

Lyra uses her rare
magical energies of quintessence and the Staurolite, governor of the four
natural elements, to guide her to the hidden keystones. However,
greed and power drive opponents, who challenge her in close pursuit, planning
to destroy the Alliance, or to claim the power of quintessence for themselves.

The Dark Realm
captures the ten-year-old Alliance seer, Kessa. Her abilities can give them
information about the locations of the keystones, complicating Lyra’s plans. Will
her love, allegiance, and quintessence allow her to save Cullen, Kessa, and the
Alliance before the Dark Realm claims all of Dragonspeir?

Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Read her ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS
for adventurous epic fantasy romance. For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazonand Smashwords.